Saudi spat with Canada could be ‘proxy’ for U.S. quarrels with Trudeau government, experts say

By Beatrice PaezAug. 13, 2018

The diplomatic quarrel could be a proxy for the United States' own dispute with Canada, 'given that Canada has antagonized the U.S. over issues of trade,' says a University of Toronto professor.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's tweet calling for the 'immediate release' of activists set off a series of retaliatory measures from Saudi Arabia. The Hill Times file photograph by Andrew Meade

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Saudi Arabiaâs âextremeâ response to Canadaâs tweet deploring its human rights record would not have been made without the knowledge of the White House and could be a proxy for the United States' own frustrations with Ottawa, say political observers. âI think they had to have the green light from the Trump administration,â says Jabeur Fathally, a professor specializing in international law at the University of Ottawa. â[Washington] is trying to make the [Trudeau government] weaker, maybe to

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